1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antihypertensives and food and drinks, containing as an effective component, polysaccharide-peptidoglycan complexes derived from the cell wall of Gram positive bacteria.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is reported that the recent incidence of essential hypertension with its etiology being unknown has reached 90% of the total incidence of hypertension and that the remaining 10% is included in secondary hypertension concomitantly developed along with renal, adrenal or nervous disorders.
Hypertension, if untreated, induces cardiovascular disorders, so that a variety of research institutes have been engaged in developing the agents for preventing or therapeutically treating the disorders, as the most important research subject.
Antihypertensives which have already been developed and introduced into market are classified according to the action mechanism, as follows;
1. Sodium-reabsorption suppressing diuretics working in uriniferous tubule; Hypotensive diuretics such as thiazide, etc. PA1 2. Noradrenaline (NA) depleting agent; Rauwolfia alkaloid, etc. PA1 3. Peripheral vasodilators; hydralazine, etc. PA1 4. Stimulators of adrenaline receptors; methyldopa, etc. PA1 5. Peripheral sympatholytic agents and central sympatholytic agents; guanethidine, etc. and clonidine, etc. PA1 6. .beta.-receptor-blockers; propranolol, etc. PA1 7. Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ATC) inhibitor; Captopril, etc. PA1 8. Others. PA1 1. They are the antihypertensives originated from lactic acid bacteria, which are used in the yogurt production. PA1 2. They are the substances from natural origin which can exhibit hypotensive effects at a dose much less than the dose of the known polysaccharides produced by plants, sea weeds and microorganisms. PA1 3. Since they are water soluble, they can be readily prepared in appropriate formulations.
Further research to develop a variety of such agents has been vigorously carried out currently.
These antihypertensive agents, which generally are administered continuously for a long period, have a profound pharmacological efficacy along with a lot of side effects. Therefore, there is a need for agents which may be administered more safely.
Alternatively, it has been known that the action to suppress blood pressure increase is found in some substances from natural origin including polysaccharides produced by plant, sea weeds and microorganisms, such as pectinate (Japanese Patent Laid-open 112520/1988), alginic acid (Japanese Patent Laid-open 143559/1984), potassium alginate (Japanese Patent Laid-open 34853/1984), calcium alginate (Japanese Patent Laid-open 130523/1985), mannans (Japanese Patent Laid-open 101327/1988), a high-molecular polysaccharide MPS-80 produced by lactic acid bacterium (Japanese Patent Laid-open 19092/1984).
It has been also reported in the academic society that besides those described above, heparin, carrageenan, dextran, cellulose or polydextrose or the like has also the action to suppress blood pressure increase or to decrease blood pressure.